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Refuge Prayer

I am currently reading Living By Vow and starting the chapter on the refuge prayer. I go for refuge each morning after sitting as refuge prayers have been part of my practice for many years and something I value greatly. At present I use Sanskrit verses but is there a Treeleaf refuge prayer?

Well, first, all these English chants are just translations into English from Sino-Japanese, from Sanskrit ... and ultimately a Translation of some feeling in the heart and all the world. So, the specific words or any words are not so important.

One may simply say ...

I take refuge in Buddha,
I take refuge in Dharma,
I take refuge in Sangha.

... or some other phrasing that rings true.

"Buddha" is the historical man who set the ball of Teachings rolling, Dharma is the rolling ball of "Teachings" about "Reality" and "Reality" itself, "Sangha" is the community of Practitioners who keep the ball rolling. Yet, Buddha-Dharma-Sangha also means something beyond and through all people, things, divisions, categories ... and is the very Rolling, Rolling, Rolling.

However, feel free to recite the English wording which speaks to your Heart. I am not so insistent that people verbally recite such words, so long as they live honoring this Way and supporting this Way.

As a side note, words like "refuge" can freak out some folks who are carrying unfortunate baggage from their childhood religions, and similar phrases like "taking refuge in a savior". That is a shame to get hung up like that on a word but, if so, one can change it to what strikes one's heart ... "I am One with ... " "I devote myself to ..." "I am at Peace in ... " or the like. Even silence.

Okumura Roshi's wonderful short chapter on the verse is available online. I recommend folks read that and, in fact, the whole book is near the top of our Treeleaf "Recommended" list. Search the word "Refuges" (plural) here and find from page 63 ...

I should also mention that there is a Three Refuges portion of our Jukai Ceremony. At that time, the Jukai recipients will say the following. However, again, I am not so concerned about exact wording, as much as the feeling in peoples' hearts.